Randolph Wilson ("Bill") Bromery (January 18, 1926 – February 26, 2013) was an American educator and

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

, and a former Chancellor of the

University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) is a public land-grant research university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system and was founded in 1863 as the ...

(1971–79). While Chancellor, Bromery established the

W.E.B. Du Bois William Edward Burghardt Du Bois ( ; February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an American sociologist, socialist, historian, and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relativel ...

Archives at the University of Massachusetts, and was one of the initiators of the

Five College Consortium The Five College Consortium (often referred to as simply the Five Colleges) comprises four Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts colleges and one university in the Connecticut River Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts: Am ...

. He was also President of the

Geological Society of America The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hi ...

, and has made numerous contributions as a geologist and academic. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he was a member of the

Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of th ...

,"Randolph Bromery"
Western Maryland Historical Library (accessed February 25, 2013). flying missions in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

."Randolph W. Bromery"
''National Visionary Leadership Project'' (accessed February 25, 2013).

Biography

Bromery was born in

Cumberland, Maryland Cumberland is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,075. Located on the Potomac River, Cumberland is a regional business and comm ...

, on January 18, 1926, to Edith Edmonson and Lawrence Randolph Bromery.Todd Feathers
"Former UMass Amherst Chancellor Randolph Bromery Dead at 87"
''Boston Globe'', February 27, 2013. As a young adult, he took machine shop training from the

National Youth Administration The National Youth Administration (NYA) was a New Deal agency sponsored by Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt during his presidency. It focused on providing work and education for Americans between the ages of 16 and 25. ...

, and began working as a machinist in Detroit. He then enlisted in the

U.S. Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

, and was assigned to the

, flying missions in Italy during World War II. After his 1945 discharge from the Army, Bromery studied at

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

, working full-time at the

U.S. Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on March ...

as an airborne exploration geophysicist—the first black professional geophysicist with the USGS.Keith M. Bromery
"Black Women Contributed Much to the Fight for Equality in the United States"
''MassLive.com''. He ultimately earned his B.S. in 1956. Although his initial bachelor's degree was in Mathematics, his graduate work was in geology: he earned an M.S. in 1962 from

American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...

, and a Ph.D. from

Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland, where he remained for mos ...

in 1968, where his advisor was Ernst Cloos. His doctoral thesis was entitled ''Geological Interpretation of Aeromagnetic and Gravity Surveys of the Northeastern End of the Baltimore-Washington Anticlinorium, Harford, Baltimore, and Part of Carroll County, Maryland''. By the time he completed his Master's, Bromery was already a well-published author, with more than 80 scientific publications in geology and geophysics under his name. He was noted in particular for his studies on the Earth's

magnetic field A magnetic field (sometimes called B-field) is a physical field that describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, electric currents, and magnetic materials. A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular ...

, and use of that data to identify minerals. His graduate work at Johns Hopkins earned an award from the

United States Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the management and conservation ...

. Bromery joined the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Geology Department in 1969, earning tenure quickly, and becoming Chancellor in 1971. He was only the second African American to lead a predominantly (historically) white campus, after

Clifton R. Wharton Jr. Clifton Reginald Wharton Jr. (September 13, 1926 – November 16, 2024) was an American university president, corporate executive, and United States deputy secretary of state. In his multiple careers, he was an African-American pioneer. Earl ...

at Michigan State University, and the first in the Northeast. While Chancellor of the university, Bromery led a number of significant ventures. He was instrumental in establishing the

Five Colleges Consortium The Five College Consortium (often referred to as simply the Five Colleges) comprises four liberal arts colleges and one university in the Connecticut River Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts: Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holy ...

. Also under his leadership, the University of Massachusetts became an early center for the emerging discipline of

African-American studies Black studies or Africana studies (with nationally specific terms, such as African American studies and Black Canadian studies), is an interdisciplinary academic field that primarily focuses on the study of the history, culture, and politics of ...

. He secured the papers of

W. E. B. Du Bois William Edward Burghardt Du Bois ( ; February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an American sociologist, socialist, historian, and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relativel ...

and

Horace Mann Bond Horace Mann Bond (November 8, 1904 – December 21, 1972) was an American historian, college administrator, social science researcher and the father of civil-rights leader Julian Bond. He earned graduate and doctoral degrees from Universit ...

for the university's Special Collections Department. The Library has since been named the

W. E. B. Du Bois Library The W. E. B. Du Bois Library is one of the three libraries of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, the others being the Science and Engineering Library and the Wadsworth Library at the Mount Ida Campus. The W. E. B. D ...

. Bromery, a saxophonist himself, recruited several well-known jazz figures to the faculty, including

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He wo ...

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

, and

Fred Tillis Frederick Charles Tillis (January 5, 1930 – May 3, 2020) was an American composer, jazz saxophonist, poet, and music educator at the collegiate level. Early life Growing up Born in Galveston, Texas on January 5, 1930, Frederick Tillis was ra ...

.University of Massachusetts
"Randolph W. Bromery, Champion of Diversity, Du Bois and Jazz as UMass Amherst Chancellor, Dead at 87"
February 27, 2013. Shortly after joining the faculty, Bromery and the other six African-American faculty members established the Committee for the Collegiate Education of Black Students, CCEBS (now Committee for the Collegiate Education of Black and Other Minority Students) at the university, to "recruit and support black students",. His former black graduate students include John T. Leftwich. While Bromery was Chancellor, the university significantly increased the numbers of minorities and women both on the faculty and in student enrollment. Throughout his career, Bromery worked to advance minorities and women in the sciences. Among other contributions, he was a member of the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...

' Special Presidential Advisory Panel on Minority Participation in Science,. Bromery and his wife have funded several fellowships or awards for minorities, including establishing a fund with the

for an annual Bromery Award for the Minorities, the Bromery Fellowship for minorities at

, and a fund to support historically underserved students in the geosciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Bromery was recognized in 2007 as an "Honoree of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Geologists and Geophysicists. After stepping down as Chancellor in 1979, Bromery remained on the faculty at the university, but also maintained an involvement in numerous other professional and academic associations. He was president of the

in 1989, and served on the board of directors of numerous large corporations, including

Exxon Exxon Mobil Corporation ( ) is an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Founded as the largest direct successor of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, the modern company was form ...

and

John Hancock Insurance John Hancock Life Insurance Company, U.S.A. is a Boston-based insurance company. Established April 21, 1862, it was named in honor of John Hancock, a prominent American Patriot. In 2004, Canadian multinational life insurance company Manulife F ...

. He served in executive roles at several other institutions, including

Westfield State College Westfield State University (commonly known as Westfield State) is a public university in Westfield, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1839 by Horace Mann as the first public coeducational college in America. History In 1839, Horace Mann founded a ...

and

Springfield College Springfield College is a private university in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. The institution's mission, called the Humanism, Humanics philosophy, calls for educating students in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service ...

(1992–98), and on the board of trustees at numerous colleges, including Johns Hopkins. He also served on the President's Committee on the

National Medal of Science The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral science, behavior ...

from 2003 to 2007.Geological Society of America Member News
(accessed February 25, 2013). Bromery married fellow

student Cecile Trescott in 1947, and the couple had five children: Keith M. Bromery, Dennis R. Bromery, David T. Bromery, Christopher J. Bromery, and Carol Ann Bromery Thompson.

Awards

Outstanding Black Scientist Award (1997) * Honorary doctorates: Frostburg State University (1972), Bentley College (1993), UMass Amherst (1979), University of Hokkaido (1976), Western New England College, Westfield State College, North Adams State College, and numerous others * Honorary President, Soodo Women's University, Seoul, Korea (1976) * Fellow, African Scientific Institute and Geological Society of America * Honoree of Distinction, National Association of Black Geologists and Geophysicists (2007) * Distinguished Service Award, Geological Society of America (1999) * Distinguished Alumnus Awards: Howard University, University of Massachusetts, Johns Hopkins University * William Pynchon Award (1992), established in 1915 to recognize individuals from the Western Massachusetts region "who have demonstrated exceptional community and civic service" * Numerous awards named after Dr. Bromery, including the Dr. Randolph W. Bromery STEM Scholars Program (

Roxbury College Roxbury may refer to: Places Canada * Roxbury, Nova Scotia, a ghost town * Roxbury, Prince Edward Island, an unincorporated community United States * Roxbury, Connecticut, a town * Roxbury, Kansas, an unincorporated community * Roxbury, Mai ...

) and the

's Randolph W. "Bill" and Cecile T Bormery Award.

Additional sources

* H. Cary (1962), ''The University of Massachusetts: A History of 100 Years'' * James H. Kessler (1996), ''Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century'' * "A Story of American Courage", ''The Republican'' (Springfield, Massachusetts), February 24, 2004.
"Randolph W. Bromery"
''National Visionary Leadership Project'' (archived in the NVLP Collection of African American Oral Histories, at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

American Folklife Center The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. was created by Congress in 1976 "to preserve and present American Folklife". The center includes the Archive of Folk Culture, established at the library in 1928 as a rep ...

) * , from the National Visionary Leadership Project. * Alexander E. Gates (2009), ''A to Z of Earth Scientists'', "Bromery, Randolph W. (Bill)", pp. 37–38.
Images of Randolph W. Bromery
, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Library ; Obituaries * Diane Lederman

''The Republican'' (MassLive), February 27, 2013 * Brian Kowalenko
"Randolph Bromery, former head of 3 local colleges, dies at 87"
WSHM, February 27, 2013. * University of Massachusetts
"Randolph W. Bromery, Champion of Diversity, Du Bois, and Jazz as UMass Amherst Chancellor, Dead at 87"
February 27, 2013.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bromery, Randolph 1926 births 2013 deaths 20th-century African-American scientists American geologists Tuskegee Airmen Leaders of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Howard University alumni American University alumni Johns Hopkins University alumni People from Amherst, Massachusetts Fellows of the Geological Society of America African-American aviators Presidents of the Geological Society of America United States Geological Survey personnel 21st-century African-American people People from Cumberland, Maryland